Perhaps it's because he looks at it as "put up or die," rather than "put up or be eliminated."
Perhaps it's because he loathes those rare moments when his smile washes away as much as those who watch the perpetually grinning guard do.
Perhaps the sudden urgency awakens a drive that isn't always stirred -- even if it should be.
But for whatever reason, Andre Hollins has made a habit of accelerating his game in the postseason.
"That's happened since high school -- I always take it up another level when it comes to the postseason," Hollins said. "Just the mentality, not wanting to go home early ... I just take that to heart and leave it all out there on the floor."
Last season, the guard had two of his highest-scoring games of the season in the NCAA tournament, notching 28 points against UCLA and 25 points against Florida. In his freshman campaign, Hollins exploded for career-highs of 25 and 21 points in the Big Ten tournament before continuing the surge in the NIT. In that postseason, he averaged 17.3 points a game after averaging 6.6 for the rest of the year.
This year, more than any, the Gophers could benefit from such a spark.
Hollins, who received an All-Big Ten honorable mention this week from both coaches and the media, severely sprained his left ankle in Minnesota's win against Wisconsin at home. Though he came back three games later, he hasn't looked like the same player since. In the last three games, the guard has managed 37 combined points, but he's seemed hesitant at times and untrusting in his own ability when he tries to drive to the hoop.
